Breadcrumbs

Incident Support Units

Capabilities: The ISU, with its technical support team, responds to requests from the IC at any incident to provide wide-ranging support for and coordination of many functions, as well as offer numerous resources. Some of the services offered include incident documentation, resource inventory control, unified command support, communication, and use of the ISU's facilities and equipment.

The vehicle is available to support any major incident, including fires, searches for missing persons, manmade and natural disasters, large-scale public events, multiple fatality and extended duration events, as well as incidents where multiple agencies are operating. In addition, the unit can be used for non-emergency events, such as the Boston Marathon and the July 4th Esplanade Concert.

The vehicle is divided into two general areas. The rear portion is a fully equipped conference room, providing video, telephone, and radio communication for managing an incident. The front section is the communication center. Two radio consoles provide low, high, ultra-high, and 800 frequency communication and represent the brain center of the unit. These frequencies cover all fire departments statewide, including ITAC (National Itinerant Mutual Tactical Channel), local public safety channels, and marine channels as well as such state agencies as the Department of Fire Services, Mass. Emergency Management Agency, State Police, Mass. Highway, and U.S. Coast Guard.